A 20-year-old Arkansas man has been arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot up his local Walmart if a hantavirus outbreak triggered a lockdown like the coronavirus pandemic.
Man Arrested for Mass Shooting Threat
Aaron Keith Bynum was taken into custody on Friday following reports that he made the threat while playing an online video game. According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Bynum told other players he would open fire in Walmart “if the country were locked down again due to the hantavirus.”
How the Threat Was Reported
Another gamer on the server reported the threat to the FBI’s National Threats Operations Center (NTOC) on May 9. The tipster provided a username and an in-game recording capturing the moment the threat was made. It is unclear whether Bynum issued the threat verbally or typed it in the chat.
The parent company of the online game confirmed Bynum as the account owner on May 11.
Investigation and Arrest
The FBI’s Fayetteville Field Office worked with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office to investigate. Officers obtained a search warrant and probable cause affidavit before arresting Bynum without incident.
He is currently held at the Marion County Detention Center on a $2,500 bond and has been charged with first-degree terroristic threatening and harassing communications.
Background on the Hantavirus Outbreak
The hantavirus outbreak originated on the MV Hondius cruise ship. Patient Zero, an ornithologist, died two weeks after visiting a landfill in Argentina with his wife, where officials suspect they contracted the rare human-transmissible Andes strain. His wife and a third person also died from the illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring 41 people for possible infection. Most of those under surveillance were passengers on the cruise, while others were on international flights with a symptomatic traveller.
Health officials have reassured the public that there is no reason for panic. Hantavirus is mainly spread through contact with infected rodents or their excrement. Most strains cannot be transmitted between people.
Public Concern and Safety Measures
Early reports of the outbreak caused fear of a new pandemic. Authorities emphasised that, while the hantavirus is serious, standard hygiene and rodent control are effective preventive measures.
